From this world to that world!

First, let us understand the implications of the terms, 'this world and that world'. For the rationalists, only this world exists and there is no such thing as the other world. Since we are living and moving in this world, there is no use of talking about 'that world'.

There are several misconceptions even in the mind of 'theists' regarding the existence of the other world. In the Hindu scriptures, there is a mention about fourteen worlds. Our earth is in the center. Let us examine, what happens to the individual soul which departs from the body after death of a body? As per the Veda and Upanishads, the last breath carries the mind (impressions) along with it. Consider the impressions as a compact disc containing all the experiences, the individual soul has undergone from birth to death. All our thoughts, feelings, emotions and our negative impulses, our transactions with other individuals, how we have treated the others including one's kith and kin, all the events and incidents of life are meticulously recorded in the mind. The mind never dies; the body alone perish. The subtle thought forms remain and they will evaporate only after the individual undergoes all the effects of good and bad deeds he has so far done.

The individual has passed through many lives before. From minerals to plants, from birds to animals likewise, he had gone through many lives and slowly evolved into a human being ultimately. Hence it is natural to find many people retaining animal qualities and indulge in animal behavior in spite of dawning a human form. Also in the case of slaughtered animals, they directly get the human birth without undergoing the intermediate births. Even if a fish is caught and consumed by man, it jumps to human birth in the next one. This is applicable when man slaughters birds, fishes and animals for his personal consumption as food. Due to the sudden jump in the evolution, we find several human beings who are unable to adopt the human qualities and values. Hence, in the society, we find abysmal behavior of certain people. Had they evolved slowly through many lives with natural progress, those people will behave well and exhibit human qualities and tendencies.

We talk about devils and demons. In this world, we can find them in human form. Most crooked, evil minded, bent upon creating problems around them forever. They are banished to undergo many such births till they realize their follies and evolve into good human beings. It may take even hundreds of births for them to refine their character.

Now let us take the case of 'that world'. This term indicates the benign presence of God as pure Love and Light. After evolving through many lower species, man has to evolve further into Divine stature. Many may doubt, whether it is humanly possible to ascend to the level of godliness. Yes, it is quite possible. We are all parted from God as individual souls. We have to merge back to the divine state. But it will take considerable time for ordinary human beings to evolve into Divine. It is the ultimate aim of human being. Though it is termed, "That world", it is not physical barrier but only mental barrier. Once Saibaba told the students and devotees that the fourteen worlds mentioned in the scriptures are fourteen states of mind. Hence the ultimate aim is the merging of the mind in the Divine Self. The mind should become perfectly empty without any feelings, emotions, desires and agitations.

Water will mix with water and oil will mix with oil. Neither the oil will mix with water nor water will mix with the oil. Likewise, pure selfless love of the Divine can mix only with pure mind of the individual. This is the highest level of evolvement, man can achieve and ascend. Once he merges in God, he becomes one with god as the rivers merging in the sea become sea ultimately!